Finally..

After what seems like months of sporadic crankiness that was always blamed on teething, little Miss Madelyn has finally gotten her first tooth!  And a whole new attitude :).

Can you see it???  I swear it's there.

Wordless Wednesday: Speaking of Toes...

If you want to check out another cute toe shot check out my new fave site 5 minutes for mom over here.

Go Shorty! It's Your Birthday!

Happy Birthday to me.

31.  Huh.  A sensible time to reflect I guess.  And as much as I'd love to write some great post showcasing the depth I'm sure to have grown in my last 31 years or wallowing in the thought of now being 30-something I just can't.  Truth is I'm purty dang happy with where I am - where I am, how old I am, and what I've become.

I hesitate to say "I've been through a lot" because, well, who hasn't?  But I will say I had a good share of obstacles that could very well have led me down a very different path.  So all in all to have ended up in this life has been a blessing I wouldn't have even known to ask for - a roof over our heads, food on our table, our own business, two baby girls that are quite possibly as close to perfect as they come, and a husband that's right up there with them.  I've had a great job, worked my way through college, and have made a handful of incredible friends that have become family.  I've tried to be a good sister, daughter, mama, friend, and wife and I can say whole-heartedly that I've been successful.  I have become someone I a

m proud to be.  31 years in the making and here I am.  And I'm overcome.

So yep, here's to a very Happy Birthday to me :).

And my very favorite thing about this birthday.....because last year there was one missing :)

Gimme! Gimme!

Sitting here surfing I found this cool website 5 minutes for mom that has a TON of giveaways.  Who doesn't love free stuff, right?  Aaaand they just so happen to be having a giveaway for True Fit Jeans - you know, those jeans that are made specially for you!  Oh my how happy a mama I would be to finally have a pair of jeans that fit just right.  No more muffin top, no more saggy butt, no more either too big or too tight but never just quite right.  No more!!!!  Can you imagine???

It's In Her Blood

Ana's Uncle Edgar....

And Uncle Edgar's Ana...

Are they the cutest EVA?????  I think they just might be!

Chit Chattin' with Ana

As I'm putting her into her car seat today after a playgroup...

Ana:  "That was amazing!"

Mommy:  "What?!?  It was amazing?"

Ana:  "Yeah.  You're amazing too, Mommy."

Sigh...my heart runeth over.

It's a Good Day!

The sun is out.

It was over 60 degrees today.

I opened our windows for the first time this year and turned OFF the heat.

We got out of the house.

A chunk of my family comes home from being out of the country.  I just prefer it when we're all on the same continent.

My girls let their mama sleep until 8 this morning, a blessing after a late night out.

Anthony did his first job is his very own truck.

Ana limited herself to only a handful of fits and whines.

Maddie tried to say "banana".

So Sick

I've been fighting the flu all week.

I found out today that Maddie has a double ear infection.

Ana has a stomach "thing".

Anthony came home today with a cold.

Are ya kidding me?!?!?!?!?!  Sigh.

Chit Chattin' with Ana

With Mommy laid out with the flu, Ana brought Anthony the thermometer...

Ana:  "Make Mommy feel better, Daddy.  Hurry."

Sometimes I wonder how her enormous heart even fits in that teeny little body of hers.

Cruisin'

Madelyn's cruising!  

I've been laid out with this horrible flu all week but Maddie has been bound and determined to get to me no matter the obstacle (very cute) or how many times Daddy has had to move her away to keep her healthy.  I think that may be what motivated her to get from one side of the ottoman all the way to the other side yesterday.

No, I didn't get it on video.  But I will.  Now that I've managed to get off the couch with a destination other than my bed and I have the camera close by.  I'll get it.  And I'll post it.

Yay, Maddie!!!

Baby Aidan

My good friend Angela's brand new baby boy was born with lung disease last Friday and I'm devastated for her.  

I have faith in God.  I know that things happen for a reason and that, although those reasons may not always seem apparent to us, He knows what He's doing.  I know, because of this, you're not "supposed" to ask "Why?".  But I can't help it.  Why does this have to happen to them?  Why does such a perfect little family have to be tested this way?  Why?

I can't find a reason.  But I've found that it's in these very situations that you must rely on your faith to carry you through.  I whole-heartedly believe in the power of prayer so I will pray for them.  I will pray for baby Aidan until he is home, safe, and healthy.

This is a big baby year for the people in my life.  Between distant friends and close friends there will be, by the end of this year, six new little people gracing our world.  I've come to realize how easily it can be taken for granted that women get pregnant and have healthy babies every day.  Truth is, it's nothing to be taken for granted.  It's a miracle in God's most precious sense.  Whether you had to try for a month or 7 years to conceive, whether you'd experienced the enormous weight of a high-risk pregnancy or had a perfectly uneventful 9 months, nevertheless a pregnancy and a baby are God's greatest gifts. 

I don't know who will read this but I do know some of you do.  So if you do, please pray for my friend and her family.  Pray for this tiny little baby boy that has come into this world to complete them.

Take a stand, my girl!

This is how I found my big girl after a nap the last Monday - standing in her crib for the first time.  She's getting soooo big :).